The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Azalea, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida, an evergreen greenhouse-forcing type, and hereinafter referred to by the name `Lavender Lace`.
The new Azalea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Azalea varieties having uniform plant habit and uniform flowering, numerous flowers, good foliage retention during the cooling and forcing periods, and excellent postproduction longevity.
The new Azalea originated from a cross made by the inventor in Alva, Fla., of an unnamed selection of Rhododendron mucronatum as the female, or seed, parent with the proprietary Rhododendron hybrida breeding selection code number 0227 as the male, or pollen, parent.
Compared to plants of the female parent, an unnamed selection of Rhododendron mucronatum, plants of the new Azalea have a more uniform plant habit and darker, more intense flower color, and better flower color retention.
In addition to flower color and form, plants of the new Azalea are more uniform and symmetrical than plants of the coral double hose-in-hose-flowered proprietary selection code number 0227. Additionally, leaves of plants of the new Azalea are lighter in color and more pubescent than leaves of plants of the code number 0227.
The new Azalea was discovered and selected by the inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., on Jan., 1992. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable flower color, profust and uniform flowering, uniform plant habit and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Azalea by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., has shown that the unique features of this new Azalea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Azalea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, light intensity, nutrition and water status without, however, any variance in genotype.